Buckle



May 8, 1923.

G. T. BRANNIGAN BUCKLE Filed May 26, 1922 INVEN'TOR.

A TTORNE YS.

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GEORGE T. BRANNIGAN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT7V ASSIGNOR T0 THE CON- NECTICUT WEB AN'D BUCKLE COMPANY, OF BRIDGE-PORT, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION F CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

Application filed May 26, 1922. Serial No. 563,778.

To all 'whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. BRANNIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, haveinvented an Improvement in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckles adapted for general use and especially for use in connection with Suspenders and ladies and childrens hose supporters. This buckle is of the so-called rustless type. of buckle, as generally constructed, it has usually been found necessary to provide the securing tongue of a lever with a series of teeth in order that the buckle should hold and not slip. These teeth, however, are ob jectionable because, when the buckle is closed, these teeth are pressed into the web tending to cut the rubber and also the fabric of the web. Also, when the buckle is opened, the swing of these teeth about the pivot of the lever moves the points thereof under the stitches of the fabric and tea-rs the saine as the teeth move away from the web. This is particularly objectionable where a fancy or loosely woven web is employed. Numerous attempts have been made to overcome this objection principally by omitting the teeth and relying on the straight free edge of the tongue to hold the web. These constructions while they did away with the tearing effect of the teeth were not satisfactory because they did not hold but slipped on the web when the article was placed under tension.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a buckle of this type which will not cut or tear the web and one in which the web is securely fastened and, therefore, will not slip.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the buckle illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whiche5 Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lower end of a supporter showing the top of the buckle in position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the buckle and web, the lever of the buckle being raised or in open position.

Fig. 4C is a similar view showing the lever closed or in securing position.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the buckle In this type I detiched from the web with the lever raised, an Fig. 6 is an edge view thereof. i

Figures 3 to 6 inclusive are drawn to a larger scale than figures 1 and 2.

I have shown the buckle as secured to a supporter comprising the web 10 to the lower end of which is secured a clasp 11 y, for attachment to a garment to be supported. The buckle comprises a substantially rectangular frame preferably of wire, which frame comprises front and back portions 12 and 13 respectively. The back portion may, if desired, be provided with a projection 14 to prevent turning of the end of the web on the back portion. To the front portion 12 70 of the frame is pivoted the lever 15 preferably by suitable curved lugs 16 embracing the front bar of the frame.

This lever comprises a top 17 by which the lever is operated and which also rests on top of the fabric when the lever is in closed position. The securing tongue has a body portion 18 extending forwardly under the top from adjacent the pivots and is then bent at 19 at an angle to the body portion 80 in a direction away from the top and terminates in a. plain free edge 20. The portion of the tongue between the bend 19 and free edge 20 is preferably substantially fiat as shown at 21 and is so arranged that when 85 the lever is in closed or securing position. as shown in Fig. 1, the free edge 2O and bend 19 lie on opposite sides of a line 22 joining the centers of thev front and back portions of the frame. The free end 23 of 90 the web 10 is wrapped around the back 13 of the franie and stitched, as: shown at 24, then extends through the loop- 25 of the clasp and down through the frame between the front and back portions thereof and between the lever and the back portion. The tongue of the lever is sufficiently resilient to give the necessary amount when the lever is operated and also to allow use of various thicknesses of web.

Referring to Fig. 4 it will been seen that, when the lever is pressed downwardly into closed position, the free edge 20 engages the top of the web and presses the same against the back portion 13 of the frame. This web 105 is so located that when the lever is in` fully closed position it will have passed through the frame or at least beyond the line 22 joining the centers of the front and back portions of the frame, and pressure of the web thereon will tend to turn it further toward closed position and so securely hold the lever in this securing position. The bend 19, however, is on the other side of the line 22 so that as tension is put on the web the pull thereof on the edge 22 will tend to move the lever further in the direction of its closing movement and the bend 19 will, therefore, tend to move somewhat toward the back portion of the frame and clamp the web more tightlyv thereagainst. t will, therefore, be apparent that, the free edge 20 and bend 19 are on opposite sides of the line 22, the lever is securely held in closed or securing position and the web is securely clamped betwen the portion 21 of the tongue and the back portion 13 of the frame so that there is very little likelihood of the lever inadvertently raising to unclauip the buckle, and also the web is securely fastened so that there is no slippage. is the free edge 2O is plain and not provided with teeth, the web is: not torn or injured in any way.

Having thus descrilized the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. A buckle comprising a frame having spaced front and back bars, and a lever pivoted to the front bar provided with a front portion and a tongue extendingforwardly under the front of the lever from the pivot toward the back bar when the lever is in securing position and terminating in a plain edge, said tongue beingbent laterally at a distance from said plain edge to form a surface adjacent the rear bar extending at substantially right angles to a line joining the front and rear bars when the lever is in securing position, said surface being of such a length that the bend and plain edge are on opposite sides of this line and the web is clamped against the rear bar by said surface.

2. A. buckle comprising a frame having spaced front and back bars, and a lever `pivoted to the front bar provided with a front portion and a tongue extending forwardly under the front of the lever from the pivot toward the back when the lever is in securing position and terminating in a plain edge, said tongue being bent laterally at a distance from said plain edge to form a surface adjacent the back bar eX- tending through the frame and substantially normal to the plane of the frame when the lever is in securing position, said surface being of such a length that the bend and plain edge are on opposite sides of the frame and the web is clamped against the back bar by said surface.

3. A buckle comprising a frame having spaced back and front bars, and a lever pivoted to the front bar provided with a top portion and a tongue extending forwardly under the top of the lever from said pivot toward the free edge thereof, said tongue being then bent laterally away from the top and terminatingv in a plain edge spaced from said bend adapted to pass be tween the front and back liars of the frame adjacent the back bar when the lever is moved to web securing position, the distance between the bend and plain edge being such as to forni a clamping surface adjacent the back bar extending through the frame and substantially normal to the plane of the frame when the lever is in securing position with the bend and plain edge on opposite sides of this plane and with the web clamped against the back bar by said surface t. A buckle comprising a wire frame having spaced back and front bars, and a lever pivoted to the front bar provided with a top portion and a `tongue extending forwardly under the top of the lever from the pivot toward the back bar when the lever is in securing position, said tongue being then bent laterally away from the top adjacent said back bar and terminating in a plain edge adapted to pass between said front and back bars of the frame when the lever is moved to web securingposition, the portion of the tongue between the bend and plain edge being of such a. length as to extend through the frame with the bend and plain edge on opposite sides of the line joining the centers of the front and back bars and at substantially right angles thereto to clamp a web against the back bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE T. BRANNIGAN. 

